Alchemy of the Pharaoh
by ShadixDarkkon
Summary: In a fateful accident worlds collide and friends get separated. Now they have to work together to fight an evil the likes of which none of them before. Can Edward and Alphonse Elric, Yugi Muto, Pharaoh Atem, Roy Mustang, and all of their friends get back to their homes, or will they be stuck in another world forever?
1. Return of a King

Seto Kaiba was late, and not fashionably either. His trademark white trench coat waved behind him as he walked briskly down the streets of Domino City. Of all the nights he could be late it had to be this one, the anniversary of the final duel. One year ago today Yugi Muto had dueled the Pharaoh Atem and won, allowing Atem to pass on into the afterlife. If you believed that ridiculous story, that is. Kaiba knew better, or at least he did at one time. Nowadays he wasn't so sure. So much had happened in years past, before the Pharaoh had left, that he had started to doubt himself. But now things were normal, no shadows, no stupid stories, nothing to contradict the natural world.

Except that he was late. He quickened his pace as he turned the corner and spotted the Game Shop a few blocks down. Lights shown through the small shop's windows letting him know that everyone else was already there. Only two blocks now. Then he could listen to Wheeler's grief for being late, and stand silently in the corner for the rest of the night.

Suddenly something caught his eye. He turned abruptly and was met with a dark alley, with a purple-black mass of shadows twisting and writhing within. _It can't be! _He thought, paralyzed. As quickly as they appeared the shadows were gone, accompanied by a flash of light from the windows of the Game Shop. Left in the alley was a silhouette, a tall figure with high spiked hair. As his eyes adjusted Kaiba could make out more details of the person. Blue leather pants and jacket, black boots and tank top, and around his neck an upside down pyramid hanging from a chain.

"It can't be you… You're gone, moved on, dead. Whatever you call it you can't be here."

"You never did believe in me Kaiba, and even now when I'm right in front of your eyes you deny my existence," came the deep voiced reply. "But it is me."

"Atem." Kaiba whispered.

* * *

"Al, can you bring me that book that Einstein just published?" Edward Elric called to his brother from his workbench in their laboratory. It had been a whole year since the two had been reunited after Roy Mustang had closed the Gate between Earth and Amestris, and they were close to finally ruining the Nazi Parties plans for a uranium bomb.

"Sure brother," replied Alphonse Elric from the other room. He came running in, short cut blonde hair bobbing. "Here you go."

Ed reached out to grab the book with his right hand, but suddenly recoiled, his face taking on a mask of pain.

"Brother?" Al cried, "Are you o- aah!" He screamed as he fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

"Al!" Ed cried above his pain. In front of his eyes his brother's body was morphing, bending, dissolving into nothing. "Al, no!" Ed's arm began to disappear as well, and underneath his pants he could feel his left leg doing the same thing.

"Brother!" Alphonse's cry faded out just as the last of his body disappeared. At the same time, a bright flash of light filled the room, and Ed blacked out.

* * *

Underneath Central City General Roy Mustang was sitting with his most trusted subordinates: Major Alex Lois Armstrong, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Warrant Officer Vato Falman, and Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc. Silence lay heavy over the vast cavern they sat in, as General Mustang simply sat and stared towards the center of the chamber.

"Boss," Havoc broke the silence. "It's been a year. I know you want Fullmetal and Alphonse back, but I think it's time to let it go."

Suddenly Mustang stood up, walking towards the transmutation circle that had been permanently carved into the floor three years ago.

"Something's about to happen, the air is shifting."

"I don't feel anything General," Lieutenant Hawkeye said, standing.

Suddenly the room was filled with a blinding flash of light. When it faded away General Roy Mustang was gone, and in his place four bodies lay on the floor.

* * *

"What have you done with General Mustang?" The words echoed through Yugi's head like a gong, causing the pain in his head to flare. Slowly he opened his eyes, only to be met with the barrel of a pistol, held by a woman in a blue uniform with her blonde hair pinned up behind her head. "I asked you a question, and if you refuse to give me any information than you have no further reason to live."

"W-wait," Yugi stammered. "I have no idea who this Mustang guy is, but I had nothing to do with it, I swear."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you? That you and your friends here had absolutely nothing to do with a high ranking officer disappearing at the exact same time you appeared?" the blonde haired woman scoffed.

Yugi looked back. Behind him, Ryou Bakura was lying on his side. Next to him, Mokuba Kaiba was splayed out, blood pouring from where his right arm used to be. But the only person Yugi wasn't expecting to see was the man kneeling at Ryo's side. His white hair hid a face that was eerily similar to Ryo's, but sharper, harder. On his chest was a ring of gold suspended on a string, with an eye set in a triangle in the middle. Small spikes hung around the edge of the circle.

"Bakura!" Yugi shouted at the young boy's evil yami.

"Weren't expecting me, were you little pharaoh?" the yami replied in his gruff accent.

"Quiet, both of you!" the woman yelled. "You're surrounded, there's nothing you can do."

Yugi noticed the other uniformed personnel around them. An older, silver haired gentleman, a young man with blonde hair and a cigarette in his mouth, and behind them a mountainous man with a mustache and a single bit of hair protruding from the top of his head.

"You'd better start talking," he said menacingly. "I know methods of interrogation that have been passed down through my family for generations!"

"We know nothing of what happened here," Bakura snapped. "Your precious general disappearing as we appeared is a mere coincidence."

"Who are you?" the man with the cigarette asked. "And where did you come from."

"My name is Yugi Muto; I'm from Domino City in Japan. These are my friends, except for him," he pointed at the evil Bakura.

"I've never heard of this 'Domino City'", the woman with the gun said.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, I believe these youths may be telling the truth," the tall man said.

"Major the general has disappeared in an instant, and you'd like to trust these criminals?"

"Remember what happened a year ago?" the tall man asked her. "When the Elric brother's created that mess with the portal, the General said they had travelled to another world. It's not insane to think something similar has happened now."

"Fine," The Lieutenant lowered her pistol. "But any funny business and I'll kill them where they stand."

Yugi suddenly remembered his young friend. He ran to Mokuba's unconscious body, pressing his shoulder. "Please, help him, he's bleeding."

The tall man grabbed Mokuba under one arm and Yugi under the other and began carrying them towards a small tunnel leading out of the cave. Bakura, under the close watch of the other two uniformed men, lifted Ryo over his shoulder and began to follow.

* * *

"Alphonse!" Ed sat up fast, yelling his brother's name.

"Who's Alphonse?" A woman's voice asked.

Ed looked around and was surprised to find himself surrounded by people. To his left there were three men; one with shaggy blonde hair in a blue and white shirt, one with brown hair in a large spike in dark clothes, and the last with spiked black hair in a red vest jacket, earrings in his ears. To his right were a girl with shoulder length brown hair, and another woman with long blonde curls. In the corner sat the most striking person though. His yellow, red, and black hair was styled in tall spikes, and his blue leather outfit stood out among the others. Around his neck he had some kind of pendant with a stylized eye emblazoned on it.

Suddenly he was jerked to his feet by a man in a white trench coat with short brown hair. Some kind of machine was attached to his wrist.

"What did you do with my brother!?" He asked in a low gravelly voice. "Tell me where Mokuba is."

Ed shoved the man's arm away from him, taking a defensive stance. "I don't know anything about your brother. All I care about is where MY brother is."

The man lunged for him, and instinctively Ed's right hand shot up, grabbing his wrist. The action was met with gasps from the others in the room, and the color drained from Ed's face. His arm was no longer the flesh he had worked so hard for, but once again the cold steel of automail he knew all too well. Mentally checking himself over he could feel that his left leg too was once again solid metal. His grip slipped and he let the man go, recoiling at the newfound abnormality.

"How… How is my automail back?" he asked meekly.

"Brother…" came a hushed whisper from behind him. Ed turned, fearing what he would see. A set of bluish-silver armor was lying in a pile on the floor, a red glow in the eyes. Behind the headpiece, inside the back of the armor was a red circle with intricate lines drawn through it. Ed's mouth dropped open in shock as he realized what had happened.

"Brother, what happened? Why can't I feel my body? Am... Am I inside the armor again?"

Ed couldn't handle everything that had just happened. He looked again at his false arm, and then at the familiar suit of armor that was once again his brother's shell. The last thing he saw was the strange man in the corner stepping towards him before he blacked out.


	2. Unequal Exchange

Alphonse stepped forward to catch his brother at the same time that the man in the blue jacket did. Gently he laid him down, careful not to hit anything with the bulky armor. Inside, he wanted to cry, but the metal shell couldn't shed any tears, and him and his brother's safety was more important at this time.

"Where are we?" He asked, turning to the group of people surrounding them. "What have you done?"

"You're in Domino City, and we haven't done anything," the blonde male replied.

Domino City. Alphonse knew the name from somewhere. Suddenly it rushed back to him. Domino City was in Japan, he and his brother had heard about it while they were studying in Europe this last year. But that meant…

"We're still on Earth?"

"Where else would ya be?" The man in the dark jacket asked. "What, are you aliens or somethin'?"

"Tristan," the odd man in the blue jacked spoke up. His voice held wisdom and authority far beyond his years. "I don't think these two are from Earth. Not the one we know anyway." He turned to Alphonse. "Your soul is upset. You hate being trapped in this armor, don't you?"

"How did you know I don't have a body?"

"I can sense things like that. I can tell that you and your brother have been through a lot. You've spent much time away from home."

"We have. Almost a year for me. Edward has been gone a lot longer."

"Edward. That's your brother, the one on the floor right? I'm Atem." The man held out his hand. Alphonse hesitated, and then shook it.

"I'm Alphonse Elric, and yes, that's by brother, Edward Elric."

"Well met Alphonse Elric. These are my friends." He pointed to each as he named them. The blonde male was Joey, the dark haired one was Tristan, the man with the spiky black hair was Duke, the girl with the brown hair was Tea, and the blonde girl was Mai.

"What about him," Al asked, gesturing to the man in the white coat, the one who had grabbed his brother.

"Seto Kaiba," the man answered. "Now, if we're finishing exchanging pleasantries, where is my brother?"

"Your… brother?" Alphonse asked.

"Yes, Mokuba." He pulled something from around his neck: a small red rectangle with a black oval in the center. He flicked it open to reveal a picture of a young, black haired boy. "He looks like this. Where is he?"

"I don't know, honest. I've never seen him before." Alphonse insisted.

Edward stirred on the floor. "It's the truth mister. One minute we're in our lab and the next we're here."

"Your lab?" Kaiba asked.

"Yeah, in Germany. We were working on stopping the Germans from making an atomic bomb." Ed replied.

"Atomic bomb? What you're talking about sounds like something from World War II."

"World War II?" Ed asked hesitantly. "What year is it?"

"What do you mean? It's 2014," Kaiba scoffed.

"2014…" Ed repeated in monotone.

"Brother," Alphonse interrupted," I don't think this is the same Earth we've been on. It sounds like this world is far ahead of ours, and probably has a lot of major differences."

"I got that Al, but I don't understand how we got here. Alchemy isn't possible on our side of the Gate, and if this is just another version of Earth then it shouldn't be possible here either."

"Ha," Kaiba sneered. "Alchemy? What, like turning lead into gold? Please. It's bad enough that these dweebs have me believing in ancient spirits, but defying physics is impossible. Especially for someone so short." He added.

Ed's fists clenched as he held back a string of curses. "It's the truth. Where we're from alchemy, not science, is what rules the world. But on Earth alchemy doesn't work. Physics is the dominant force here. Or at least it was on the Earth we came from."

Atem spoke up again. "Even if Kaiba won't admit it, there are forces in our world that are beyond science. Your alchemy isn't something familiar to me though."

"What kind of power are you talking about then?" Alphonse asked.

"A deep magic exists in this world. It let's those who can use it summon great and powerful monsters. Many times my friends and I have stopped people from using it for evil. Most of the time it has to be channeled through one of these," he gestured to the pendant around his neck. "A Millennium Item."

"Millennium Item? Are there a lot of them?" Edward asked.

"No," Atem replied. "Only seven existed. Once I moved into the afterlife they were supposed to have disappeared. But since mine has returned I can only imagine that the others are back as well."

"Where did they come from?" Ed asked nervously.

"They were forged 5000 years ago in Egypt. My uncle went behind my father's back, sacrificing the city of Kel Ulna to give them their power."

Ed's face went white. Al's voice was quite when he spoke.

"Brother, that sounds just like-"

"A Philosopher's Stone." Edward finished.

* * *

Slowly Mokuba opened his eyes. He was on a bed in a white room, most likely a hospital by the look of it. He was struggling to remember how he got here, his memories fuzzy, just out of reach. He reached up to rub his eyes, but was met with a cold metal on his right eye. He jerked back, pulling his hands up to look at them, and nearly fainted. His right hand looked robotic, muscle and flesh replaced by steel and wiring. He screamed.

Yugi stepped in, running to his side. "Mokuba, you're alright, calm down, please, listen!"

"What happened to me?" He began to cry.

"We're not sure." A blonde haired woman walked in behind Yugi. "Most likely it was taken in some sort of twisted equivalent exchange to allow you all to get here safely. We've stopped the bleeding and given you an automail arm to use. In return, you are all going to give us any and all information on how you got here, and where General Mustang is."

"What's automail?" Mokuba asked, still staring at his hand.

A huge man with a blonde mustache came into the room. "It's a mechanical limb, stronger and faster than normal flesh. It's some of the most advanced technology we've come up with. You should consider yourself lucky to have that instead of just a stump."

"Lucky?! Losing my arm is lucky?" Mokuba yelled. "There's nothing lucky about THIS!" He thrust his new arm towards the group. Worn out, he slumped back, crying silently.

"Mokuba," Yugi stepped to his friends side. "It will be okay. I promise. After all, you're still alive. That's the important thing right?"

Mokuba looked up. "I guess… Where are we?"

Two more men in uniforms similar to the man and the blonde woman's came into the room. They fell into place behind the large bald man.

"You're in Central City," The bald man said. "In a military hospital. We've made sure you've gotten the finest medical care available."

"And who are you?" Mokuba asked.

"I am Major Alex Lois Armstrong, the Stongarm Alchemist." He flexed his muscles under his clothes. "And these are the members of Mustang Company. Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye," he pointed to the blonde girl. "Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc," he pointed to the blonde man with the cigarette. "And Warrant Officer Vato Falman," he pointed to the older grey haired man. "Now, who are all you?"

"I'm Yugi Muto," Yugi answered. "This is Mokuba Kaiba and Ryo Bakura. And that," he glared at the evil Bakura. "That is Bakura's dark half. Don't let him out of your sight, he's bad news.

Leitenant Hawkeye spoke up. "For the time being none of you are going anywhere. We need answers. How did you get here?"

"I have no idea," Yugi said. "We were in my living room, waiting for Mokuba's brother Seto, when there was a bright flash of light. All of a sudden we were in that cave, and the evil Bakura was with us."

"You mean he wasn't with you before you got here?"

"No, he was supposed to be destroyed."

Lieutenant Hawkeye turned towards the taller of the two Bakuras. "So, where did you come from then?"

"Where I come from is none of your business," He replied in his rough voiced accent. "And I'm not going to tell any of you anything." Suddenly he held his hand up, showing a small circle interlaced with lines that he had carved into his skin. The lieutenant jumped back, and the major took up a defensive stance.

"What?" Yugi asked. "What have you done Bakura!"

"Yami! Whatever you're about to do, don't!" Ryo cried, lunging towards his evil side.

The evil Bakura sidestepped, letting the good Bakura fall to the ground. "That's right," he continued to address the soldiers. "I know of this worlds 'alchemy' and I think I have enough knowledge to use it. But I could be wrong. Either way, I don't think it will end well for anyone in this room."

"What are you talking about Bakura?" Yugi asked angrily.

"In this world, little Yugi, they don't use science and magic like we do. They use a power called alchemy, governed by its own laws. Before returning from the Shadow Realm I learned why we were being brought back, and the connection between the worlds. I understand things none of you fools in this room could grasp." He smiled maliciously, his hand still aimed towards the major.

"You're wrong," Mokuba said quietly. "I… remember something. I saw something when we came here. A door. I can't remember much, but I can feel something." Suddenly he lifted his hands up, examining them intently.

"What are you talking about you little runt," Bakura barked.

Suddenly Mokuba jumped off the bed, clapping his hands together and touching them to the floor. In the blink of an eye the wood flowed up and around the evil Bakura, covering his hands and feet and locking him in place. Silence fell over the room as everyone stared at him with open mouths.

"Mokuba, how did you do that?" Yugi finally asked.

"He used alchemy," Bakura hissed. "But somehow he managed to do it without a circle."

"I've only known two people who could do that," The major said quietly.


	3. Feeding the Flame

"So you think that the Millennium Items were some form of Philosipher's Stones?" Duke asked after the brothers and the Pharaoh had finished trading quick explanations of each other's pasts.

"If everything you all have said is true, then yes." Edward replied. "I mean think about it. They both required a city to be sacrificed, and both are able to manipulate the world around them in ways not normally possible."

"But that still doesn't explain what's going on," Joey said. "I mean how did you get here, and why is the Pharaoh here?"

The Pharaoh brow furrowed. "I remember something," he said, closing his eyes. "My memory is jostled from oming back to life and the excitement here though. Something about a great evil, and the other Yamis." Suddenly the realization hit him and a frown formed on his lips.

"What is it Pharaoh?" Tea asked.

"Before I left the afterlife, I was told that a great evil was about to appear in our world, and that it would threated all existence. Bakura and Malik were there too. We werer told that if we, all three of us together, helped save the world from destruction, then we could keep our bodies. Live normal human lives."

"Wait," said Joey worriedly. "All three of you? Than that means that Bakura and Malik are our there right now?"

"Yes. Unless they were sent into the same world that Yugi and the others were sent to."

"Sorry to interrupt your fairytales Pharaoh," Kaiba cut in, "but did the magical voices tell you anything that could actually help us? Like a name? A place we can go?"

"Actually, I do remember a name. Thaddeus Dixon. I have no idea who that is though." He turned to the brothers. "Is the name familiar to you?"

Edward shook his head. "Never heard it before."

"Oh," the Pharaoh perked up. "One more thing. I remember something about the Millennium Items. Something like their powers have trapped inside of people. I'm not sure how that's possible though."

Edward stood up. "You said the Millennium Items opened a gate to the afterlife for you a year ago right? And after that their powers faded away? When we were searching for the Philosipher's Stone it's power was inside Al. Maybe if we can find those people-"

"We could use them to open another gate, maybe even to our world!" Al finished.

* * *

"Let me go you little brat," Bakura threatened as he struggled against the bond that Mokuba had bent around him.

Everyone else was still looking at Mokuba; the boy was crouched to the ground, eyes shut. After a few seconds he opened them and stood up. "I'm sorry," he said meekly. "I was afraid he was going to hurt you, so I just acted."

"What you did was very impressive," the major said. Suddenly his eyes got watery. "It was a true show of selflessness and bravery! Although I could have held my own against him," he added, his composure serious once again.

"Ha," Bakura laughed. "I wouldn't actually hurt any of you, not for the time being anyway. That would negate the agreement."

"What agreement?" Leiutenant Hawkeye asked, moving directly in front of the incapacitated man.

"The one that says if I help you I get to keep my body."

"Your body?" Hawkeye asked, taking a step back.

"That's right, _lieutenant,_" Bakura spat the word like a curse. "Even in our world I lacked a physical form. For years I lived in the ring around my neck, using him," he jerked his head towards Ryou, "as a vassal to do as I pleased. Appearrantly something so bad is happening that the gods have given myself and the others our own bodies, and if we help you out like good little Yamis then we get to keep them."

"Like I would let you help me!" Ryou suddenly yelled. "You ruined my life for years, why the hell would I work with you?"

"Because you have no choice. I'm the only one who knows anything about what's going on here. Without me you'll all be stranded here while the world falls apart around you!" Bakura began laughing maniacally as the everyone in the room exchanged glances.

"Let him go Mokuba," Yugi said finally. "He said himself if he hurts us he loses his body. I may not trust him, but I know he's not stupid."

Mokuba clapped his hands together again, then pressed them to the floor. Slowly the wood around Bakura's hands and feet receded, until the floor was normal once more.

"Thank you," Bakura said snidely. "Now, where do we begin?"

The major grabbed Bakura's wrist. "You can start by giving us this important information that you say you have."

"All I'm willing to give you for now is a name. Thaddeus Dixon."

* * *

Roy Mustang sat up slowly, his head pounding. As his vision came back to him he observed his surroundings. He was in a dark room, with nothing but a couch and a small end table. Behind the couch, which he was laying on, was a door, a single crack letting a sliver of light into the room. His uniform was folded neatly on the end table next to a glass of water, and he realized he was only in a light shirt and shorts. He quickly put it back on, and, finding that his gloves were missing, moved hesitantly towards the door.

He peered through the crack and saw a room with decoration as minimalist as the one he was in. A single table was in the center of the room with four chairs placed around it, and a single plain light hung from the ceiling. In one of the chairs sat a woman, sipping what looked to be tea from a small cup.

"You can come in," she said, still facing away from him.

He gently opened the door and stepped into the room. Awkwardly he stood behind her, unsure of what to do next.

"You can sit down if you'd like," she said.

He did as she said, hesitantly waiting for something to happen.

"Who-" he started, but she cut him off before he could ask his question.

"My name is Ishizu Ishtar. But the real question is who are you? A mysterious person who appeared suddenly in front of me on the street."

"My name is General Roy Mustang. Where am I?"

"You are in a hotel in Domino City. I brought you here after you appeared. You've been passed out for almost four hours."

"Domino City?" he asked, a grim feeling coming over him. "I've never heard of it before. What country is that in?"

The woman hesitated, seeming confused by his question. "Japan," she said finally.

Roy reeled internally. He had never even heard of that country before. And the woman in front of him looked like an Ishvalan, which didn't help the situation.

"How did I get here, what happened, how far are we from Amestris?" The questions poured out of his mouth unintentionally as he became more concerned. The woman, however, remained calm as ever when she answered him.

"I'm sorry, but I have traveled the world and never have I heard of this 'Amestris.' As for how you got here, I know nothing other than that you appeared in front of me out of thin air. It would seem something has happened and brought you into this world from far away."

"You talk as if people showing up out of nowhere is normal."

"I have seen a lot in my life, people magically appearing is nothing great to me."

Roy paused. This woman, Ishizu Ishtar, had an aura of power and understanding, he could feel it. Suddenly another question came to mind.

"When I was brought here I was wearing a pair of gloves. They were white with red circles on the back. Do you have them?"

She pulled the gloves out from under the table. "I was examining them, I apologize. They are rather interesting, metallic fibers sown in so that they create a spark. Tell me, what do the figures on the back mean?"

He took the gloves, putting them on. The soft material was familiar against his skin. "They are a weapon of sorts, allowing me to…" He stopped, not sure why he was explaining this to a total stranger. "Never mind, it's not important." Without making anything obvious, he placed his hands into his lap and focused on the transmutation circles that were now on the back of his hands. He didn't want to do anything major, just change the air in front of him enough to make sure that they were still working properly.

For a moment the familiar flow of power rushed through him, but suddenly subsided and disappeared. Nothing in the air changed and no bolts of energy lightened the room. His alchemy wasn't working.

"Whatever power you were trying to summon, I don't believe it works in this world," the woman said, still extremely calm.

"How did you know what I was trying to do?"

"Once I held an item of great power which gave me the power to see everything, past, present, and future. Even though I no longer have it, I still retain some of that ability."

"Why are you telling me all this? You don't even know me."

"I know what I observe and sense. You are a good man, although you keep much to yourself. You are hardened by years of fighting, and you are far from home. Because of these things I believe you deserve the information I'm giving you." She set her cup down and folded her hands in her lap. "Now General Mustang, there is something you will need if you are going to go out into this world. Follow me."

She got up and led him into a side room, which had a single table. On the table was a silver briefcase, which she opened and motioned for him to look into. Inside the case were cards. Hundreds of them, all with different depictions of creatures and items on them. Some were tan around the edge, some were pink, and others still were green or blue. A faint echo of power resonated around them, as if the cards themselves were going to come to life.

"What are these?" He asked, confused.

"In this world there is a game called Duel Monsters. This game is based off an ancient magic that summoned monsters and spells. In modern times the game is used for fun, settling disputed, and tournaments around the world. However, throughout history and especially in recent years there have been individuals able to summon the monsters into the world once again." She paused, her hand going up to her neck as if holding an invisible necklace. "You will need to build a deck and learn the rules of the game. If you have been brought into our world by some type of magic, then calling the spirits of these monsters might help you get home."

"Will you teach me?" Roy asked, skeptical of what the lady had said.

"I will, but only after you choose a deck. Forty-one cards, no less, no more.

"But how will I know what to choose?" he objected.

"Follow your heart, let it guide you to the right choice."

Hesitantly he stepped forward and picked up a stack of the cards. As his hand connected with the cards a small burst of energy erupted inside of him, like a fire in his chest. He began shuffling through the stack, setting aside those that he thought would be useful. It was easier than he imagined, certain cards felt right, like they were choosing him instead of the other way around. As he was picking through the last stack, he stopped suddenly. A card had caught his eye, a warrior with a sword in a blue and orange tunic, with a helmet of gleaming orange metal on his head.

"What is this one called?" he asked Ishizu.

"Ah, I suspected that you would choose that card. That is the Flame Swordsman."


End file.
